Business Spends Big on Midterms, a Battle Against ‘Citizens United’ and More in Capital Eye Opener: October 5

Your daily dose of news and tidbits from the world of money in politics:

BUSINESS GROUPS INCREASE POLITICAL SPENDING BEFORE MIDTERMS: Business lobbies and trade groups have upped their spending on political advertisements to support candidates who either run small businesses or have proven to sympathize with their needs, a Wall Street Journal article reports.

The Center for Responsive Politics shows that business trade organizations overwhelmingly favor Republicans this election cycle. (Three among the top 20 recipients were Democrats.)

So far, donations from business associations and their employees to federal political interests and candidates total more than $1.2 million. Of the business-related campaign contributions, 31 percent is being spent on non-incumbent challengers, and 78 percent of Republicans are receiving company love.

Separately, these business groups have spent $59.3 million on federally reportable lobbying efforts during the first six months of this year, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce accounting for $44.2 million of that sum.

OFFICIALS PLEDGE TO COMBAT CITIZENS UNITED DECISION: A new group called the Coalition for Accountability in Political Spending is attempting to persuade businesses to not spend unlimited sums of money, as the Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision has allowed since January.

The group conducted a conference call on Monday to announce its website, www.saveourelections.com, which provides background on the Citizens United case, advocates for more transparency in political spending and encourages public involvement. Formed by New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and joined by other public officials, the group takes aim at outside spending.

“The only thing that Citizens United actually united is opposition,” City of Los Angeles Comptroller Wendy Greuel said during the call on Monday.

TODAY’S BIG OUTSIDE SPENDER AWARD GOES TO … The National Federation of Independent Business, who on Monday, according to our analysis of federal reports, spent $152,000 total in support of four congressional candidates, all Republicans.

These independent expenditure beneficiaries are: U.S. Senate candidate Kelly Ayotte in New Hampshire ($33,833.34); former Rep. Charlie Bass, who’s hoping to recapture the New Hampshire 2nd Congressional District seat he lost earlier this decade ($33,833); House candidate Frank Guinta, running in New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District ($33,833); and Jon Barela, running in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District ($50,500).

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